In a free space optical (FSO) communications network having a bent pipe architecture, data is transferred between relay nodes via optical space links. At each relay node, the data is re-amplified, but not modulated or demodulated.
Conventionally, a network may include a first relay node, a near neighbor relay node, and a next near neighbor relay node. A first bent pipe channel from the first relay node to the near neighbor node is established by a first crosslink, and a second bent pipe channel from the first node to the next near neighbor node is established by a second crosslink.